Deck 12: The Successful Journey

Question 1

During what typical age period are most adults still locked into a conformist view, seeing things in black-and-white terms, looking to outside authority to tell them the rules. This would be a time of maximal tribalization, defining themselves by tribe and place in the tribe.

A) 18-24
B) 25-39
C) 40-64
D) 65-74

Answer 1

B

Question 2

major shortcoming of Vaillant's Grant studies was that:

A) they only included women.
B) it was a cross-sectional study.
C) they only included people from the South who rated themselves high on religiosity.
D) they only included very well-educated professional men.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following is likely to coincide with Julie all of the sudden realizing that she needs bifocals?

A) Erikson's stage of intimacy
B) lowest level of job satisfaction
C) high inferiority
D) diminished reproductive capacity

Answer 3

D

Question 4

According to Arnett, there are five major tasks of emerging adulthood. Which of the following is one of them?

A) redefining life goals
B) focusing on the self
C) establishing a sense of integrity
D) establishing generativity within the workplace

Question 5

Gerontologists describe adults over the age of 75 as_______.

A) young old
B) the disengaged
C) members of the sandwich generation
D) in the period of late adulthood

Question 6

Which of the following pairs of characteristics or events is most likely to occur together (that is, in the same age period) in a normative adult life?

A) peak physical functioning and Erikson's stage of generativity
B) Erikson's stage of intimacy and low rates of loneliness
C) noticeable physical decline and fewer but more intense friendships
D) bone mass is still increasing and the postparental stage of the family life cycle

Question 7

Which of the following pairs of characteristics or events is most likely to occur together (that is, in the same age period) in a normative adult life?

A) peak physical functioning and romantic relationships consist of short-term dating for most.
B) marriage and maximum work satisfaction
C) plateau in career advancement and peak of physical functioning
D) establish generativity within family or workplace and low marital satisfaction

Question 8

a normative adult life pattern, the stage of the family life cycle that is most likely to correspond to peak job satisfaction is _______.

A) emerging adulthood
B) young adulthood
C) the five years before retirement
D) the years of middle adulthood

Question 9

levels of marital satisfaction and peak years of career success are most likely to go together in which age period?

A) 20-39
B) 40--64
C) 65-74
D) 75+

Question 10

Cherisse is 72 years old. Based on the research, the strongest predictor of her quality of life would be________.

A) her marital status
B) her health
C) the number of children who live nearby
D) her gender

Question 11

Whether a person will experience a disequilibrium period as a crisis or merely a transitory phase is most likely to depend on:

A) the number of siblings and amount of contact with extended family.
B) the person's personality and coping skills.
C) quality of education and number of years of post-secondary schooling.
D) whether or not the individual engaged in a life review.

Question 12

Which of the following best describes the findings on the relationship between social involvement and life satisfaction among young adults?

A) The least socially active adults are typically the happiest.
B) Those who lack friendships have more depressive symptoms.
C) There is a strong relationship between social activity and happiness for females, but not males.
D) There is no relationship between social activity and happiness.

Question 13

Bjorklund notes that _________ bring "detribalization, perhaps part of a deeper shift in personality or meaning systems toward a more individualistic view."

A) the years of emerging adulthood
B) the young adulthood years
C) the late adulthood years
D) the five years before death

Question 14

Which of the following best describes our current knowledge about the existence of a midlife crisis?

A) Virtually all adults experience a crisis at midlife.
B) Some adults experience a crisis, but it they are in the minority.
C) More adults experience a crisis at midlife than at any other age.
D) There is no evidence that any adults experience a crisis at midlife.

Question 15

Essence started off as a nursing major, but then decided that this was not the right career path for her. She switched to her passion of social work after taking a course in sociology her first semester of college. According to Arnett, she is experiencing

A) positive instability
B) feeling in-between
C) moratorium
D) selective optimization with compensation

Question 16

Period of life with the most changes and peak physical condition go together in which age period?

A) 25-39
B) 40-64
C) 65-74
D) 75+

Question 17

Which of the following best describes the findings on the relationship between social involvement and life satisfaction among adults aged 20-39?

A) The least socially active adults are typically the happiest.
B) Those who lack friendships have more depressive symptoms.
C) Adults with moderate levels of social activity are the happiest.
D) There is no relationship between social activity and happiness.

Question 18

During young adulthood:

A) those who have small friendship networks report more loneliness.
B) people are working on giving back and establishing generativity.
C) there is a shift to detribalization.
D) job satisfaction is at its highest.

Question 19

the majority of studies, there is a drop in ________ in young adulthood after the birth of the first child and during the period when the children are young.

A) work satisfaction
B) marital satisfaction
C) salary
D) generativity

Question 20

Which of the following pairs of characteristics or events is most likely to occur together (that is, in the same age period) in a normative adult life?

A) peak physical functioning and Erikson's stage of generativity
B) Erikson's stage of intimacy and decline in crystallized and fluid abilities
C) noticeable physical decline and fewer but more intense friendships
D) peak physical functioning and the task of ego integrity.

Question 21

Bjorklund notes that _________ bring "detribalization, perhaps part of a deeper shift in personality or meaning systems toward a more individualistic view."

A) the years of emerging adulthood
B) the young adulthood years
C) the late adulthood years
D) the five years before death

Question 22

a normative adult life pattern, the stage of the family life cycle that is most likely to correspond to peak job satisfaction is _______.

A) emerging adulthood
B) young adulthood
C) the five years before retirement
D) the years of middle adulthood

Question 23

Misty is 85 years old; gerontologists would describe her as _______.

A) being young old
B) being in a time of tribalization
C) being disengaged
D) being in late adulthood

Question 24

fastest segment of the U.S. population is the group in:

A) emerging adulthood.
B) young adulthood.
C) middle adulthood.
D) late adulthood.

Question 25

it comes to quality of life:

A) studies in the U.S. over the past 50 years have shown that less than half of the population considers their life "satisfying" or "very satisfying."
B) more affluent countries show larger percentages of satisfied or very satisfied people than less affluent countries.
C) older adults report a lower quality of life than middle-age adults because they tend to compare themselves to how they were when they were younger.
D) the strongest predictor is personality.

Question 26

Which of the following best describes our current knowledge about the existence of a midlife crisis?

A) Virtually all adults experience a crisis at midlife.
B) Some adults experience a crisis, but they are in the minority.
C) More adults experience a crisis at midlife than at any other age.
D) There is no evidence that any adults experience a crisis at midlife.

Question 27

demarcation point between older adulthood and the late adulthood is determined by _______.

A) the ability to drive
B) health
C) turning 75
D) attitude

Question 28

According to Costa & McCrae (1984), people experience upheaval at what point in life?

A) at any time
B) young adulthood
C) late adulthood
D) middle adulthood

Question 29

the 40-64 age range we find several characteristics. Which is NOT a characteristic of this age range?

A) increase in the centrality of work
B) detribalization
C) The social clock is less significant.
D) The biological clock begins to be audible.

Question 30

Which of the following is likely to coincide with a high level of marital satisfaction in an adult following a normative sequence?

A) birth of the first child
B) high work satisfaction
C) disengagement from non-family social roles
D) rapid work advancement

Question 31

singer, Lionel Ritchie, explained in an interview that he could no longer reach the high notes the way he used to when he was younger. The way he handled this was to encourage the crowd to sing along when he got to the parts of songs that are most challenging. Baltes and Baltes (1990) would refer to this as:

A) disequilibrium
B)selective optimization with compensation
C) tribalization
D) disengagement

Question 32

levels of marital satisfaction and peak years of career success are most likely to go together in which age period?

A) 20-39
B) 40-64
C) 65-74
D) 75+

Question 33

Which of the following is TRUE regarding quality of life?

A) Married people in the U.S. have higher quality of life than unmarried people.
B) In countries other than the U.S., single people have much higher quality of life than their married counterparts.
C) One to two years after the death of their husbands, widows report the same quality of life that they experienced before.
D) Cross-cultural research shows no correlation between marital status and quality of life.

Question 34

Which part of Cumming and Hendry's theory was disputed by researchers?

A) that the social "life space" shrinks with age
B) that aging persons actively embrace the process of disengagement
C) that the aging person becomes less governed by rules and norms
D) that close relationships are the key to happiness for women, but not men

Question 35

is there little knowledge or research concerning the age group termed "late adulthood"?

A) The group is a relatively recent phenomenon.
B) Data has not been complied on this specific age group.
C) Census bureau reporting was inadequate.
D) All of the above are valid reasons.

Question 36

Marital and work satisfaction ______ in the years of middle adulthood.

A) rise
B) drop
C) remain stable
D) have an inverse relationship

Question 37

Petra is experiencing a rapid drop in role demands. She is most likely in which of the following age groups?

A) 20-39
B) 40-64
C) 65-74
D) 75+

Question 38

older adults, ________ is a cause of higher overall life satisfaction.

A) marriage
B) personality
C) social involvement
D) work

Question 39

Which of the following is likely to coincide with the period of peak work satisfaction in an adult following a normative sequence?

A) birth of the first child
B) an increased social network
C) sense of choice
D) peak physical functioning

Question 40

term did Cumming and Henry use to describe the shrinkage of social contacts and social roles in old age?

A) interiority
B) introversion
C) disengagement
D) role decline

Question 41

Whether a person will experience a disequilibrium period as a crisis or merely a transitory phase is most likely to depend on:

A) the number of siblings and amount of contact with extended family the person had.
B) the person's personality and coping skills.
C) the quality of education, number of years of schooling and the person's cohort.
D) whether or not the individual engaged in a life review.

Question 42

Bjorklund uses Waddington's analogy of the ___________to describe how each adult's development occurs primarily within a specific pathway. The process is influenced by the starting conditions of education, family background, ethnicity, intelligence, and personality.

A) patchwork quilt
B) epigenetic landscape
C) layers of the atmosphere
D) compass

Question 43

Among the childless men in Vaillant's study, those who were rated as generative at age 47 were the ones who:

A) adopted a pet.
B) found someone else's child to parent/mentor.
C) found a job that was a better fit with their personality.
D) became a leader in their place of worship.

Question 44

According to Vaillant's study of the Grant sample, which characteristic of the men in middle age was most predictive of psychological health or ill health at age 63?

A) trust in early childhood
B) the stability of the man's marriage
C) the man's satisfaction with his work
D) the quality of the man's relationship with his children
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Question 45

Describe at least three of the five major tasks of emerging adulthood as proposed by Arnett.

Question 46

did Bjorklund mean by the terms tribalization and detribalization?

Question 47

Which of the following is NOT a source of disequilibrium?

A) role changes
B) asynchrony of timing
C) major life changes
D) a change in the epigenetic landscape

Question 48

According to Vaillant's studies of the Grant sample, measures of early family experiences are predictive of subsequent difficulties _____.

A) throughout the adult age range
B) in old age
C) in the first few decades of adulthood
D) at no age in adulthood

Question 49

Butler (1963) argued that in old age we all go through a "life review." Define what he meant by this term and discuss whether his argument is valid or not.

Question 50

do Baltes and Baltes mean by selective optimization with compensation? Give an example.

Question 51

Briefly describe the participants of the Grant study and include one major finding from research on this group of individuals.

Question 52

and describe briefly the five different potential sources of disequilibrium as outlined in the final chapter of Bjorklund's text.

Question 53

According to the model proposed in the final chapter of the text, what is the relationship between the occurrence of stable life structures and age?

A) There is an approximate link; adults who follow a modal sequence of family and work roles will share the rough timing of stable periods.
B) The linkage is very strong; virtually all adults experience periods of disequilibrium at the same ages.
C) The linkage is generally weak, but is stronger for those in the working class than those in the middle class.
D) There is no relationship at all between age and the occurrence of stable structures and disequilibrium.

Question 54

Describe at least three variables (or individual differences) related to quality of life..

Question 55

major shortcoming of Vaillant's Grant studies was that:

A) they only included women.
B) their sample of men and women was too small and, therefore, not generalizable.
C) they only included people from the South who rated themselves high on religiosity.
D) they only included very well-educated professional men.

Question 56

According to the model presented in the final chapter in the text, which of the following experiences is likely to create disequilibrium in the psychological system and thus lead to some change or development?

A) role changes
B) asynchrony of timing of developmental sequences
C) poor match between personality and role demands
D) any of the above

Question 57

According to research by Costa and McCrae, individuals ________ were more likely to respond to disequilibrium by increases in substance abuse, illness, depression, or regressive patterns of defense.

A) low in conscientiousness
B) high in neuroticism
C) from low socioeconomic status backgrounds
D) high in openness to experience

Question 58

According to Vaillant's studies of the Grant sample, measures of childhood family environment, or of a young adult's personal resources (such as personality or cognitive skills), are predictive of subsequent psychological adjustment _____.

A) at every age throughout the adult age range
B) in old age, but not at midlife
C) at midlife, but not in old age
D) at no age in adulthood

Question 59

an adult responds adaptively to a period of disequilibrium-with personal growth, or with an improvement in health habits or the like-what effect does such a change have on personal happiness?

A) Adaptive change is consistently associated with increased happiness.
B) Adaptive change shows no consistent link with happiness.
C) Adaptive change increases happiness in about three-quarters of adults.
D) Adaptive change increases happiness in women but not in men.

Question 60

According to the model proposed in the final chapter of Bjorklund's text, what combination of characteristics or circumstances is most likely to lead an individual to emerge from a period of disequilibrium with some kind of personal growth or development?

Question 61

Describe the "disengagement" hypothesis offered by Cumming and Henry. Which parts of the hypothesis have been supported and which have not?

Question 62

Evaluate the following assertion in light of the evidence presented in the final chapter of Bjorklund's text, and throughout the text: "The kind of family one grows up in, the economic and educational advantages one has, the personality characteristics one has at age twenty-all of these profoundly shape the pattern of adult life one will experience."

Question 63

age twenty, Sarah is working as a checkout clerk in a grocery store, having left school after high school. She didn't do particularly well in school and had a hard time learning how to run the cash register, but she is a cheerful person, outgoing and friendly, and a reliable worker. She doesn't have a steady boyfriend, but she dates quite a lot and is looking forward to getting married and settling down-although she guesses that she will probably have to work after she is married. Given everything you know about adult development, what predictions would you make about Sarah's adult life? Back up your predictions with research evidence or theory wherever you can.

Question 64

Describe two sources of disequilibrium and give an example of each.

Question 65

Berkley and Grant studies both find that the most successful and well-adjusted middle-aged adults grew up in certain types of families. What kind of families did they have (what where they like)? Are there any critiques of these studies? Explain.

Question 66

Discuss Waddington's (1957) concept of "epigenetic landscape." Make sure you describe not only the theory behind this concept, but also how it relates to development.

Question 67

the final chapter of your text, the author proposes a four-proposition model of adult growth. Briefly list and define the four propositions of the model. Do you think this is a good model of adult development? Why or why not?

Question 68

best part of adult life is the years from about age fifty to age sixty-five. These years are truly the flowering of adulthood." Evaluate this statement.

Question 69

Argue for or against the proposition that adult life is made up of an alternating series of episodes of stable life structures and periods of disequilibrium.

Question 70

you ask most middle-aged or older adults whether they would like to be twenty again, the great majority reply with a resounding "NO!" In light of what you now know about the different periods of adult life, why do you think so many people respond in this way?

Question 71

is meant by the "social clock" and the "biological clock"? How do these two processes interact across the adult years?

Question 72

Describe the period of adulthood from age sixty-five to seventy-five. What are its key features? What makes this period different from those that come before or after?

Question 73

would satisfaction with work and relationships increase in midlife while the centrality of work and relationships decreases during this time?

Question 74

as many "maladaptive" responses to disequilibrium as you can. Are all of these invariably maladaptive? Can you think of any circumstances in which any of these behaviors or attitudes would be adaptive?

Question 75

Describe how the period of emerging adulthood (as defined by Arnett) is different from the period of young adulthood?

Question 76

determines whether a person will experience a disequilibrium period as a crisis or merely as a rather transitory phase? Give an example that draws on the experiences of someone you know or those of a fictitious character.

Question 77

did Bjorklund mean by the following: "the midlife crisis is, to some extent, an aspect of individual personality rather than a characteristic of this particular age period?" Include research findings in your response.

Question 78

modern American society, virtually all adults go through some kind of significant personal crisis in the years of middle adulthood-roughly ages forty-five to fifty." Evaluate this statement.

Question 79

Describe the period of adulthood from age forty to age sixty-five. What are its key features? What makes this period different from those that come before or after?

Question 80

Describe the period in adulthood from age twenty-five to forty. What are its key features? What makes this period different from those that come before or after?